ROS 2 Docker + Devcontainer Environment

This repository builds upon the official osrf/ros images to

• Install various commonly-used command-line development tools and utilities.
• Support GUI applications.
• Provide low-friction development and shell environments.

Important

This repository assumes you are already familiar with Docker. A relaxed approach to security is adopted for dev environment conveniences (e.g., filesystem, device, user mapping). The container user is effectively a root user on the host. Use agentic tools at your own risk.

Getting Started

This repository is regularly used with rootful Docker on an Ubuntu host. Rootless Docker or Podman may require additional configuration.

If not done already,

• Install Docker Engine
• Follow Post-Installation steps
• Set up NVIDIA drivers and container toolkit if applicable

Using jazzy as an example,

• Build an image: ./build-image.sh jazzy

For shell tasks,

• Enter a shell in the container: ./enter-container.sh jazzy

For vscode,

• Install the Dev Containers extension
• Copy devcontainer.json to .devcontainer/devcontainer.json in your workspace.
• A popup will probably appear in the bottom right to use the devcontainer. In general, you can also open the command palette and use "Dev Containers: Rebuild and Reopen in Container".
• You should then be able to open the repository directly in the devcontainer in the "Open Recent" menu.